How to Cook Delicious Frozen Meat: Get that Jiggly Consistency Just Right!

Frozen meat dishes are a staple for Vietnamese cuisine, especially on chilly days, and remain a cherished tradition in Northern Vietnamese households. Today, the PasGo Team shares the authentic Northern recipe for mouthwatering frozen meat!

Total Preparation Time: Approximately 60 to 70 minutes

• Prep and Ingredient Preparation Time: Approximately 30 to 40 minutes

• Cooking Time: Approximately 30 to 35 minutes

Aromatic and Appealing Frozen Meat Recipe

The most popular way to cook frozen meat is by using pork trotters. Hence, the PasGo Team introduces you to the method of cooking frozen pork trotters. From this method, you can also adapt to cooking frozen pork belly or how to cook frozen chicken. Dive in for more!

1. Ingredients for Cooking Frozen Meat

To cook savory Northern-style frozen meat, we need the following ingredients:

Ingredients for Cooking Frozen Meat

- Pork trotters: 1kg

- Pig ears: 1 piece

- Wood ear mushrooms: 20g

- Cloud ear fungus: 30g (you can prepare more if your family enjoys eating cloud ear fungus)

- Dried shallots: 1 bulb

- Quality fish sauce, ground pepper, and spices.

- Utensils: Pressure cooker or thick-walled cast iron pot

2. Cooking Frozen Meat - Preparing Ingredients

Prepare the pork trotters and pig ears.

- Pork trotters, clean shaved, thoroughly washed, cut into medium-sized square pieces for easy consumption.

Sliced pork trotters

- Pig ears, cleaned, deodorized by rubbing with salt and vinegar. Then finely sliced.

Cleaned pig ears to eliminate any odor and also sliced into small pieces

- Heat a pan, add cooking oil, stir-fry the shiitake mushrooms and wood ear mushrooms with a little seasoning until flavorful, then set aside.

Slice the shiitake mushrooms and wood ear mushrooms finely.

- Marinate the meat with a tablespoon of tasty fish sauce for about 30 minutes to enhance flavor.

Marinate the meat evenly with spices.

Detailed recipe for deliciously cooked pork leg

Step 1: Sauté the meat

Sauté the pork leg and ears in a pan until firm, adding a pinch of seasoning while cooking.

Step 2: Simmer the meat for setting

Pre-cook the meat before transferring it to a pot for simmering. Using a pressure cooker is recommended for quick meat tenderization and time-saving cooking.

Note: Ensure the meat is fully submerged in water. When the water boils, skim off any foam to keep the meat clear when set. Only close the pressure cooker after skimming off the foam to resume cooking.

Delicious meat setting technique: Skim off foam

Step 3: Add mushrooms and wood ear mushrooms

After 15 minutes of simmering until the meat is tender, uncover and add shiitake mushrooms, wood ear mushrooms, and crushed roasted peppercorns into the pot. Simmer for an additional 10 minutes.

Step 4: Decorate and shape the cooked meat

Carve carrot flowers and place them at the bottom of the dish before transferring the set meat. This will create an appealing presentation when the meat is flipped out.

There are various methods for shaping the cooked meat:

• Square-shaped delight: by placing the meat into a square-shaped container
• Round wonder: when pouring the meat into a bowl with a round shape
• Flower-inspired: putting the meat into a flower-shaped bowl

Freeze the meat in the fridge compartment to enjoy it gradually

Store the frozen meat in the fridge for about 5-6 hours to solidify. When serving, use a knife or spoon to scoop the solidified meat onto a plate, making it easier. With this freezing method, you'll undoubtedly have a delicious and unique dish.

Delicious frozen meat for a family meal